| to be found in one of the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, | | published in 1879. | | | | Investigations have also been made in England, France and Germany. | | I believe it has been ascertained that a dot means one, a bar | | five, a bar with two dots seven, and two bars represent ten. It | | has also been discovered that the hieroglyphs are to be read from | | left to right, and from the top downwards. If this is correct it | | is a discovery of considerable importance. Upon an examination of | | the illustration in the frontispiece of the Palenque altar tablet | | it will be observed, from the position of the leading groups of | | figures on the left slab, that the heads are probably intended to | | represent the chiefs of the Toltec tribe. | | | | The numerous explorations that have latterly taken place | | throughout Mexico, Guatemala and Yucatan have practically | | determined the positions and extent of all the ancient Indian | | ruins that still exist in those lands. Therefore it is not | | expected that any more discoveries of importance will be made. It | | is however possible that one or more small temples or structures | | may be found hidden among the forests in the line of direction | | between Ocosingo and Flores. | | | | In the United States much attention is being given to the study of | | the Mexican and Maya manuscripts. | | | | It is to be hoped that methods of interpretation will be | | established upon a sound basis, and that the characters written | | upon the codices, and the hieroglyphs graven upon the idols and | | stone tablets will be ultimately deciphered. | | | | [85] Some years after my return to England I had a long | | conversation upon the subject of alligators with Mr. Bates, who | | was then our Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society, and | | whose knowledge upon all matters concerning the habits of animals | | in tropical lands was very extensive. In his book “The Naturalist | | on the Amazons,” he mentions a case that happened at a place | | called Carcara. | | | | An Indian, one of the crew belonging to a trading canoe, whilst in | | a half-drunken state went down to bathe in the lake and stumbled. |